Sorsha: The Traitor Child
by Yasseprea
Summary: This is based on Willow, the book by Wayland Drew. Please R & R!
1. Chapter One

Hi, people. Since no other person has written a fanfic about one of the greatest fantasy movies/novels of all time, I have taken the responsibility upon myself. This fanfic is going to be about Sorsha, right before the events of Willow take place. Please read and review! I would be grateful for all reviews, even flamers, though I would prefer a constructive criticism over a flamer any day! Disclaimer: I do not own Willow, though I wish I did. The only characters that are mine are the characters that did not appear in the book by Wayland Drew or in the movie. ~ represent thoughts since the italics on my computer do not transfer onto fanfiction.  
  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
  
  
"Princess Sorsha, your mother requests your presence in Nockmaar," a young scout said hesitantly as he approached a young woman. She turned towards him and stared at him for a moment.  
  
"Fine," she answered sharply. "Dion, tell, Kael to continue his search for women who are pregnant beyond the sixth month," she said. "Queen Bavmorda is starting to grow impatient with our lack of progress regarding the gathering," she said quietly as she pushed the mass of her unruly, red hair back beneath her helmet. The scout nodded his head and quickly retreated as another gust of freezing wind blew ferociously and pushed him backwards into a nearby tent.  
  
Sorsha pulled her black cloak around her slender form as she walked slowly towards a large tent, which served as a temporary shelter for the horses. She pushed open the tent flap and strapped it tightly behind her.  
  
She smiled slightly as a rush of warm air from the fire in a makeshift hearth greeted her. "Kyrell," she snapped as she kicked the feet of a sleeping captain.  
  
He scrambled to his feet and reached for his dagger, but relaxed when he saw that it was Sorsha. "My lady, what do you wish of me now?" he said smiling wryly at her as she returned his smile with a temperamental glare.  
  
"Queen Bavmorda requests my presence in Nockmaar. Get your horse ready, we must leave this snowy tomb before nightfall," she said as she walked to her own horse, Rak, and gently patted him on his neck. She smiled affectionately at Rak as he nuzzled into her neck, but stopped when she noticed that her horse was already clad in his tack.  
  
"Dion came in here just a short while ago and saddled Rak for you," Kyrell explained, quickly.  
  
"Kyrell," she said icily. "No one is to touch my horse except for me, do you understand?" she said as he nodded his head vigorously. "Do not let anyone near him again," she said as she checked Rak's tack to make sure that it was put on properly. She led him outside to the freezing snow covered landscape and lightly sprang up into the saddle. She walked him around the tent while waiting for Kyrell to finish putting the tack on his horse. Finally, he led his horse out of the tent and pulled himself up into his saddle.  
  
"Well then, shall we be off?" he asked as Sorsha urged Rak into a controlled canter as he kicked the snow up behind him and cantered away from Kyrell. "I guess so," he muttered as he followed her lead.  
  
  
  
After two days of riding, Sorsha and Kyrell had finally entered the barren wastelands of Nockmaar. Sorsha stopped Rak and looked forebodingly at the castle of Nockmaar from the rock outcropping where she perched. The drifting mists and smoke curled around the huge, dark castle that resided in the middle of a large plain of dark soil and gravel. The great volcano, Nockmaar, stood behind the castle, like a sentinel standing watch. She snorted to herself. ~Even the ground has a sinister appearance.~ No wild animals lived in Nockmaar because there was no vegetation, and there was no vegetation because the ground was covered in black ash from the volcano, so, in consequence, the Nockmaar people acquired their food by pillaging nearby lands.  
  
Sorsha gently kicked Rak into a gallop with Kyrell's mount following in Rak's tracks. They galloped the rest of the distance to the dark castle. The drawbridge dropped down as Sorsha and Kyrell approached it. As soon as they had galloped over the drawbridge, it was pulled back up and the portcullis was lowered into its place. Sorsha slid out of her saddle, replaced Rak's bridle with a halter, took the rest of his tack off and led him around for a few minutes to cool him down.  
  
"Sorsha, I will take Rak, the Queen demands your presence in her conjuring room," a Nockmaar soldier said as he grabbed Rak's lead. Sorsha nodded sullenly and approached a large spiral, stone, flight of stairs that led to her mother's conjuring room, which was in the tallest tower in Nockmaar. She jogged up the endless stairs, thankful for the chance to stretch her cramped legs. The stairs led up to a dark, damp corridor that was lit by several torches. Sorsha hesitated for only a moment when she reached the huge, oak doors of the conjuring room. She pushed the heavy doors open a few inches and was greeted immediately by the drawn, wizened face of one of Queen Bavmorda's druids.  
  
"My queen," the druid said in a hoarse voice. "Your daughter…"  
  
"Sorsha," the queen said in greeting, as she turned towards her daughter. Her pale face peered out from under her black hood and her purple robe was pulled tightly around her body. The dark crown was perched upon her head protectively, like a helmet.  
  
"Mother," Sorsha said quickly. "We are searching for more pregnant women, even as we speak."  
  
"I know, Sorsha, I have many ears, do you forget?" her cold voice said, brimming with impatience.  
  
"Then, Mother, why have you requested my presence?" Sorsha asked quietly.  
  
Bavmorda smiled bitterly as she heard the fear in her daughter's voice. "You do not need to fear me, Sorsha, my child. I simply want you here in Nockmaar. I want you to keep watch over the captive women. You must look for the newborn bearing the mark. As soon as she is born, you must summon me so that we may begin the ritual," she said, impatiently.  
  
"You want me to keep watch out for the child from the prophecy?" Sorsha asked in disbelief. "Mother, you could have one of your druids take that heinous task instead of me! Why must I do it?"  
  
"I gave you an order child. You will do as I ask," Bavmorda snapped.  
  
Sorsha nodded her head in compliance. "Yes, Mother, I will do as you ask."  
  
"Very good, Sorsha," her mother said, smiling. "Now, you must leave. I have to continue with my….work," the queen said as she turned towards her stone altar. Sorsha gritted her teeth together in frustration and stormed out of her mother's conjuring room. One of the druids shut the door firmly behind her.  
  
Sorsha sunk to her knees in despair. ~How dare she cage me in these walls? Especially for a task as unproductive as this!~ She yanked off her helmet and threw it against a stone wall. She watched and listened to its clattering as it rolled down the spiral of stairs. She pushed herself up from the floor and composed herself as she followed her helmet down the stairs. ~How could she do this to me?~ she thought angrily as she pushed open a small trap door.  
  
Sorsha used a servants' passage to travel to her quarters without having to cross through the muddy courtyards and having to deal with the obnoxious Nockmaar soldiers. She climbed up several flights of stairs to her quarters. She pushed open the door and slipped into her room. She tossed her helmet onto a trunk and collapsed onto her bed. As soon as her head touched the furs, she fell into a deep sleep. 


	2. Chapter Two

Hi, people. Here's chapter two. If any of you have any suggestions on a different name for this fanfic, I would greatly appreciate them. Please read and review! I would be grateful for all reviews, even flamers, though I would prefer a constructive criticism over a flamer any day! Disclaimer: I do not own Willow, though I wish I did. The only characters that are mine are the characters that did not appear in the book by Wayland Drew or in the movie. ~ represent thoughts since the italics on my computer do not transfer onto fanfiction. A/N: Aria, yes Madmartigan is going to appear in this fanfic, but not until the sixth or seventh chapter, I think. If you want, though, I'll write a fanfic about Madmartigan, in my opinion, the coolest character in Willow, hehehehehehehehe!  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
  
  
Sorsha awoke in a cold sweat. She opened her eyes, grabbed her dagger that she kept under her pillow, and sliced at the shadows with it in one fluid motion. When she realized that she was alone, she began to breathe more easily and returned her dagger to its place. She pushed the fur covers off her and climbed wearily out of the bed. She began to take her armor off, which she had been too tired to take off, and raked her fingers through her hair. She pulled her hair back and secured it with a scrap piece of leather. She pulled changed into a long, wool tunic that draped down past her knees, but left her breeches on.  
  
"Just a nightmare," she said quietly to herself as she began to pace back and forth in her quarters. She sighed as she tried to recall the details of her dream, but failed to. All that she could remember was the face of her father, who she barely remembered, contorted into a mask of horror, pain, and betrayal. She walked over to the table and splashed some water onto her face from the basin. She crossed over to the bed and pulled the dagger out from underneath her pillow. She slipped it into a leg sheath and walked over to the oak doors of her room. She pushed them open soundlessly and slipped into the shadows of the corridor. She sighed in dismay when she remembered that she was to watch over the births.  
  
She skipped down the several flights of stairs and pushed open a door that led to the kitchens. She walked briskly down that corridor and walked into the dining hall. She quickly ate some food that was already laid out and walked out of the dining hall and into a corridor, which led to the dungeons. She pulled open the trapdoor and quickly down the stairs. She blanched at the rank odor. She could hear the cries of newborns and their mothers. She held her breath as she walked by a cage full of the hideous death dogs, one of Bavmorda's monstrous creations, feasting on a screaming and writhing Galladoorn prisoner.  
  
"Ethna," Sorsha said to a midwife as she entered an open cell. "Let me see the child's arm."  
  
Ethna handed Sorsha the newborn girl who was wrapped up in a wool blanket. She was howling loudly. "He does not bare the mark, my lady," Ethna said quietly as she bowed her head. Sorsha coldly pulled the infants arm out of the blanket and grimaced. "Here, give him back to her mother," she ordered.  
  
Ethna nodded as she took the child in her arms and stopped her crying by holding her closely. "Here," she said kindly as she handed the mother her child.  
  
"Have there been anymore births that have not been checked?" Sorsha asked Ethna.  
  
"No, my lady, not since Queen Bavmorda came down last night," she answered, looking somewhat dazed. Sorsha nodded her head and walked out of the cell.  
  
"Sorsha!" the mother yelled. "You will burn for all the crimes you have committed against Galladoorn! My people will destroy you and that wretched beast, Bavmorda!"  
  
Sorsha turned on her heel and strode into the cell. "Silence, wench," she snapped as she raised her hand to strike the mother, but hesitated. Instead of the woman squirming away from Sorsha's raised hand, she held her ground and glared at her.  
  
"Hit me, see what good that will do," she said defiantly. "The child will be born and I will watch joyously as she destroys you!"  
  
Sorsha raised her eyebrow in amusement and lowered her fist. "We shall see," she replied as she walked out of the cell.  
  
"The child will destroy you, she will punish you for the crimes you have committed," the mother yelled shrilly after Sorsha who ignored her cries.  
  
Sorsha climbed out of the dungeon and went to the stables. She found Kyrell sleeping in some straw with a bottle of mead in his left hand. "Wake up," she said as she kicked his feet. He jumped to the ground and dropped the bottle. He cursed as it shattered, spilling the mead over the straw.  
  
"Yes, Princess Sorsha," he said, his voice full of contempt.  
  
"Clean this mess up, Kyrell, and take care of the horses in here. I am assigning you to stable master," she said.  
  
"As you wish, my lady," he said as he began to clean up the shards of broken glass.  
  
Sorsha chuckled in amusement and walked over to the small box stall where Rak was. She fondly scratched his ear and gave him a handful of grain from an open barrel. He nickered as he ate the grain. She haltered him and brought him out of the stall. She quickly brushed his coat, checked his hooves, and tacked him up. She lead him out to a corridor that had a few soldiers, who had not been assigned to a troop, training. They nodded their heads in acknowledgement of her presence and continued to shoot bolts and arrows into a target on the other side of the courtyard. Sorsha pulled herself up into Rak's saddle and began to trot him around in circles. He kept on pulling at the bit but Sorsha kept a firm hand. She rode him around for an hour or so before a soldier interrupted her.  
  
"Princess Sorsha, Ethna, the midwife, requests your presence. There has been another birth," a soldier said slowly.  
  
"Fine, take Rak," she said as she slid out of the saddle and handed Rak's reins to the soldier.  
  
She climbed down into the dungeon once again desperately hoping that it was indeed the child of the prophecy who had been born.  
  
She walked past several pregnant women who all hissed obscenities at her. "Quiet," Sorsha snarled in return.  
  
She entered a cell and walked over to Ethna. "Is it a girl," she inquired sternly. Ethna hesitated for a brief moment and looked at the mother sympathetically who was waiting apprehensively.  
  
"Yes," Ethna answered.  
  
"Show me its arm," Sorsha commanded.  
  
"She bears the mark," Ethna said grimly.  
  
Sorsha sighed in relief as the mother cried out in fear for her daughter.  
  
"Then the omen is true. I must tell my mother," Sorsha said as she turned away from the child. She quickly ran out of the dungeon and up to her mother's conjuring room.  
  
"Mother, the child has been born," Sorsha said breathlessly as she pushed open the doors.  
  
Bavmorda's worn face creased into an evil smile. "Prepare the ritual," she said to her druids as she left the conjuring room, closely followed by Sorsha. Bavmorda orders several guards to accompany them to the dungeon. As they walked to the cell, Sorsha noticed Ethna bowing over a basket that seemed to squirm, but Sorsha simply rejected what she had seen, telling herself that it had been the light playing a trick on her.  
  
Sorsha waited outside the cell as Bavmorda approached the mother. "You cannot stop the prophecy," the mother cried out in protest. Bavmorda wrenched the bundle away from the mother, unraveled the cloth, and realized that the child was gone.  
  
"Where is the baby?!" Bavmorda cried out in anger.  
  
"The midwife," Sorsha answered quickly, recalling the bundle the woman had been carrying.  
  
The mother cried angrily. "Your reign of terror is at an end! She will come back and she will finish you!"  
  
"Silence, wench!" a guard said.  
  
"My baby will finish you!"  
  
Bavmorda grasped Sorsha's shoulders and shook her harshly. "Find that baby, Sorsha! Use the Dogs. Bring her back to me alive!" Sorsha nodded her head in compliance once again and sprinted out of the dungeon. 


	3. Chapter Three

Hiya, once again, people!!!! Here is chapter three. Please read and review! Disclaimer: I don't own Willow; I really, really wish I did, though. I do own the characters that did not appear in the book and/or movie, like Kyrell, yup, he's cool. Anyhow, enjoy!! :P A/N- Aria, I'll get to work on the Madmartigan fanfic ASAP, I think I'll have the first chapter posted by this weekend at the latest, hehehehehe, that one should be entertaining, to say the least. Sorry, all, this chapter was kind of weird. Oh well, on a brighter side, Madmartigan is going to appear very soon, hopefully.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
  
  
"The child has been born," Sorsha muttered to herself in disbelief as she quickly pulled her black armor on. She pulled her helmet on over her red hair and gathered her weapons: her longbow, a few quivers of arrows, and her bastard sword.  
  
She skipped down to the stables and attached all of her weapons to various parts on Rak's tack. A throng of Nockmaar soldiers, some on foot, on horses, and some tended to the death dogs, were all assembled out in the southern courtyard. Some of the captains were already dispatching their troops.  
  
She vaulted up onto Rak's back and said in a loud, stern voice, "Remember, do not harm the child. Kill the traitorous midwife as soon as you see her, but do not harm the child." She whirled Rak around and trotted him over the drawbridge and out into the dark valley of Nockmaar.  
  
"Princess Sorsha," she heard someone yell to her as she stopped Rak and waited rather impatiently.  
  
Kyrell galloped up to her and stopped his horse a few feet before they collided with Rak.  
  
"What," Sorsha demanded impatiently, though a smile was tugging at the edges of her mouth.  
  
"Permission to leave the stables and join you on your quest for glory," he asked hopefully.  
  
Sorsha looked past him towards the stables. "My quest for glory," she asked as he shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Granted," she said sardonically, "since you already left the stables, you might as well come."  
  
He nodded his head in gratitude.  
  
"Why, Kyrell, if I did not know any better, I would think that you actually wanted to leave Nockmaar!" she said sarcastically.  
  
"Whatever gave you that idea?" he muttered wryly as he urged his horse into a trot. Rak willingly obliged to meet the pace that Kyrell's steed set. A score of armored soldiers solemnly followed Sorsha and Kyrell. Several death dogs accompanied by their trainers followed in the rear.  
  
Sorsha silently watched as the various squads dispatched in different directions. She turned around in her saddle while keeping Rak at a walk, "Search thoroughly," she ordered as the troops spread out. The trainers struggled to hold back the death dogs.  
  
"Princess Sorsha," one ventured quietly. "May we let the dogs go?"  
  
"No, not until we get out of this valley. The midwife probably backtracked and laid false paths for us to follow. She will probably stop once she gets out of this valley, though. Hurry," she said turning her attention back to the rest of the troops, "she couldn't have gone far. She escaped only a few hours ago."  
  
She squinted as she tried to see past the drifting smoke and mists. ~The midwife is clever, she is using the mists to her advantage~ she thought bitterly. She urged Rak into a trot and scanned the landscape, searching for the midwife.  
  
"Watch for anything moving in the mist," she ordered. She could hear captains and lieutenants yelling various orders to their troops. "Trainers, listen to the dogs. Do not let them out of their restraints but follow them where they take you. Yell if you find her. If she resists, turn the dogs on her," she said solemnly.  
  
Kyrell pulled his horse up beside Rak. "Princess Sorsha? If…If we find the child, what will the queen do to her?" he asked fearfully.  
  
"Kyrell, that is none of your concern. Keep your nose in matters where it belongs, like in finding the child," she said sharply.  
  
"Will the queen kill her?" he asked ignoring her command.  
  
"Quiet," she snapped as she pulled Rak away from Kyrell.  
  
Sorsha galloped Rak to the front of the solemn procession and fumed silently. ~Why is Kyrell suddenly concerned about the infant's fate? He has killed many, so why is he suddenly worried about the life of a single child?~ She jumped as the thunder roared suddenly. Lightning flashed on the horizon illuminating the land for a brief moment, which was cloaked by the mists and smoke.  
  
"Princess Sorsha, I saw something," one of her soldiers called to her from the rear of the line.  
  
"Where?" she asked placidly.  
  
"Over there," he said pointing eastwards.  
  
Sorsha kicked Rak into a gallop and raced eastwards, leaning forward, urging him on. She stopped him abruptly and cursed quietly when she saw that the figure was just a Nockmaar scout on foot.  
  
"Where is she?" she muttered angrily.  
  
She returned to her troops, sulking. She made them continue the search until nightfall, when they finally reached the boundaries of the valley of Nockmaar.  
  
  
  
When they finally stopped, she ordered them to set up camp. They set up a few tents and made a roaring fire, which they roasted some meat on. Sorsha took care of Rak and wandered away from the camp, with the moonlight as her only guide. She knelt down on the rocky ground and prodded at a small weed, part of the little natural vegetation in the area, with her toe. She scanned the area and returned to the camp.  
  
"Two keep watch during the night, you can have shifts. There should not be much trouble though. The ground is barren and flat so that we could hear people coming well before they get to out premises. Keep the fire burning, to ward off the animals," she ordered as she walked to her tent. She took her armor off and collapsed on her cot. She tucked her knife beneath her pillow and pulled the furs over her shoulders. After a few moments, she fell asleep.  
  
Sorsha awoke with a start. As far as she could tell, it was still night. She heard the clattering of horses and wagons approaching. She quickly pulled her armor on and got her weapons out. She hissed a warning to the troops that were asleep and they quickly prepared themselves for the unknown. She ordered them to strike down the tents. When they had collapsed the last tent, they all formed a circle with their backs to the fire.  
  
"Pohas!" a lieutenant yelled as he lifted his sword up.  
  
Sorsha sighed in contempt. ~Pohas~ she thought bitterly as she strung an arrow into her bow. ~This sword will spill the blood of many of those scum eating cannibals.~  
  
She heard the hoarse war cry of a Poha as he lunged at Kyrell who quickly drove his sword into his attacker's chest. He wiped the Poha's blood of on his tunic and prepared to kill more. One of the Pohas ran towards the fire so that Sorsha was able to see what he looked like. She sighed in disgust as she looked at his tattooed covered body from the waste and up. His head was bald, probably from all of the tattoos and piercings. His eyes were blood shot from all the alcohol that he consumed and he lunged at with a knife.  
  
Sorsha dropped to the ground and kicked his legs out from beneath him and slit his throat with her sword. She dodged as another Poha attacked her. He tried to strike her with his sword, but she easily parried his stroke and decapitated him. The remaining Pohas screamed in horror and retreated, taking their fallen comrades as well as some of the corpses of the Nockmaar soldiers that they managed to murder.  
  
Sorsha brushed the blood off of her cheek and checked her soldiers for any causalities other than those who were carried off by the disgusting Pohas. 


	4. Chapter Four

Hi, once again! Here's chapter four. If you have any suggestions, comments, etc. please leave a review or e-mail me at arakis16@hotmail.com, or at eloradananoftirasleen@yahoo.com. Thanks! I don't own Willow, or the characters from the book/movie. Ok, this chapter is slightly strange, and by slightly, I mean very.  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
  
  
"If they come back, don't spare any of their lives, slaughter them all," Sorsha said emotionlessly as she washed her blood covered hands in a tank of water. She pushed her hair behind her ear and sat on the ground, completely exhausted from tending to the wounded all night long.  
  
"We will move out at daybreak. After you complete your tasks, use your remaining time to rest. We have a long day ahead of us," she said as she pushed herself off the ground and walked over to Rak. She leaned up against him as she brushed him and began to tack him up. After she finished she pulled herself up into his saddle and grabbed her bow. She hastily fitted an arrow and held it readily as she patrolled the outskirts of the camp.  
  
She returned in a few hours, after all the equipment had been packed up and everything else had been taken care of. "Move out," she barked sharply. "Those of you who are not injured, walk and give your horses to someone who has been hurt."  
  
Kyrell reined his horse in beside Rak. He looked at her with weary eyes and smiled weakly. "That was enjoyable," he said sarcastically.  
  
Sorsha smiled at him wryly. "If I see another one of those Poha scum, I will stick its head on a pig pole."  
  
She slumped into Rak's saddle, all the while, watching the mists like a hawk, trying to distinguish what was actually there from what her mind saw.  
  
The troops spread out, forming a long relentless line that would cease at nothing to find that child.  
  
Kyrell lead several troops up a rock outcropping but found nothing. Suddenly, the dogs started howling and pulling towards the east. "Come," she ordered her troops, beckoning them to follow her. The rest of the troops followed the snarling and snapping death dogs.  
  
Finally, midday, when they were well out of the desolate Nockmaar Valley, Sorsha halted Rak.  
  
"You," she ordered coldly, motioning to one of the dog trainers. "Let your dog go and tell the others to do the same."  
  
The trainer nodded in relief as he called for his comrades to let their dogs go. He unhinged the restraints, quickly climbed into the saddle of a horse and followed his dog. Sorsha motioned for several to stay behind and continue the search.  
  
"Kyrell," she called as he pulled his horse up beside hers. "Let's go," she said as she pressed her heels into Rak's sides and he lurched into a gallop.  
  
They followed the dogs for a few hours before they finally slowed down. One of the dogs, a smaller, younger dog, actually collapsed from exhaustion, but the others continued on relentlessly.  
  
They followed the dogs further and further out of Nockmaar valley and they had traveled in a wide arc, first going east now going directly south. Sorsha urged Rak on as gently as possible. The other horses were beginning to fall back and some had stopped all together.  
  
"Kaeim," she yelled to one of her troops, "you had best stop, your horse is about to fall," she ordered as the troop nodded his head and slowed his horse down.  
  
She stopped Rak and let him rest for a few minutes before proceeding. The trainers, however, were forced to keep closely behind the dogs to keep them from killing the child if they ever found her.  
  
Sorsha motioned for the others to stop. "We shall stop here, we will follow their path in a few hours. There are enough troops following the dogs for now in case they do find the child or meet any resistance," she said nodding towards the trees where the others had vanished.  
  
The scattered line of troops all dismounted and cared for their horses. Sorsha walked Rak over to a small stream, a tributary to the river Freen, and let him drink. She took his tack off and splashed water all over him to cool him down. She sat down next to the stream and watched over Rak as he grazed quietly.  
  
She stretched her muscles, and sighed in content as some of the tension was relieved. Sorsha reached into a saddlebag and pulled out some bread and cheese and devoured it ravenously.  
  
"It is time," she called to the troops as she mounted Rak. She waited for a few moments then urged Rak into a brisk trot. She frowned as she followed the path that the dogs and trainers had plowed. ~The Galladoorn could easily follow this, even a child could.~  
  
"Tell the people in the back to cover our trail," she ordered loudly. She smiled slightly as she heard the word being passed down the line.  
  
She cringed as she heard the howl of a death dog deep within the forest. 


End file.
